Reversible garment construction



Dec. 24, 1946.

J. L. KLEINMAN REVERS IBLE GARMENT CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheeft 2 Filed Sept. 30, 1945 M S mw n R TM N mM. H V+ w i. J

Patented Dec. 24,Y 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE REVERSIBLE GARMENT CONSTRUCTIGN Jacob L. Kleinman, New York, N. Y.

Application September 30, 1943, Serial No. 504,401

1.6 Claims.

The invention relates to a garment construction and more particularly to a garment which is reversible, so as to have either face thereof constitute the outside face of the garment. The invention embodies an improved construction of such conventional reversible garment in that in addition to the structure thereof imparting the conventional reversibility to the garment, it is con stituted of two plies of material forming substantially complete garments in themselves, but so joined together that either face of both of the constituent garment structures may be exposed so as to form or constitute the outer face of the garment proper. In other words, in addition to the garment being reversible, my novel construction makes it possible that either side or face of either of the two component garments may be used as the outside or outer face, whereby there is produced a single garment of unitary construction, but of two-ply four-face structure.` In this way, any one of four diii'erent faces of different colors or different designs, and, as a matter of fact, diiferent materials, may form the outer or visible face of the garment.

My novel garment construction is capable of being utilized in substantially any form or configuration of garment such, for instance, as a coat jacket, blouse, shirt, skirt, trousers, or any combination of the aforementioned articles of apparel. The structural features of the novel garment may be utilized in the construction of garments of all types, including such as have sleeves, hoods, collar or lapel components, or such garments as constitute merely protective or covering apparel, for instance, a cape, raincoat, or similar over-all garment.

In accordance with my invention, I produce a garment of this general character utilizing two substantially identical garments, one within the other, and in substantial surface contact with all of the interior surface of the outer garment with the component parts of the two garments joined together in a novel manner. The garment, thus constructed, may be reversed, or turned inside out. in the conventional manner of reversible garments. In addition, however, to the mere reversibility of the garment, my novel construction permits the interchanging of the two component garment elements so that the outer portion or face of the duplex `garment can become the interior component and the interior portion or face the exterior component or outer face. whereupon the conventional reversal of these two garment components results in the presentation for visibility of a third outer surface. When this garment is in turn reversed, a four outer face, which may be diiferent from any of the others in color or design, is then presented to the exterior.

There is, therefore, thus produced, in accordance with my invention, a reversible garment which in addition to its mere reversibility, exhibits the novelty that once such garment has been reversed, it can be further manipulated to expose to the exterior of the garment, two other outer surfaces of different design or` color than those secured by the originalcapacity of the reversibility of the garment.

These objects of the present invention are attainedby a novel construction which will be hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings in connection with a specific embodiment of the invention.

Before describing such specific embodiment, however, the particular utility of a garment construction of this novel character in two fields of application may well be first set forth.

The manifest advantages of a garment of this construction in the carrying on of modern warfare, in which the art of camouflage has become of paramount tactical importance, is evident from the consideration that a member of the armed forces, supplied lwith such a two-ply four-face reversible garment, is enabled with a single garment of comparatively little weight, to don the garment with that one of its four faces exposed to the Aoutside which is most consonant with the nature, for instance, as to color, of the surrounding terrain. To illustrate, a single unitary garment of my novel construction may be supplied to a member of the armed forces irrespective of whether the combatant is to become active in a theatre of war in the cold regions, for instance the polar regions, in which a background of snow is dominant, in which case he would expose to the outside the face of the garment which is substantially white, so as to blend most inconspicuously with the surrounding terrain covered with snow, 0r if he is to be active in a theatre of operations the surrounding terrain of which is jungle, the garment may be donned with its face exposed which has a color known as jungle green, or a design simulating jungle growth. To take care of a third and quite different theatre of operation, for instance, in a terrain of a desert, the'third face of the garment may be of a color like desert sand. The fourth face of the garment for camouflage purposes, may be of a green color simulating the green of ordinary foliage, or of grass, to adapt the garment for wear by a-'cornbatant in a field of operations in 3 which green fields or forests of green foliage are predominant.

The above is merely illustrative of a partcular utility of my novel reversible two-ply fourface garment in carrying on modern warfare.

To illustrate the ordinary commercial utility of my novel garment in civilian life, a garment constructed in accordance with my invention, whether a cape, coat, blouse o1' shirt, could be utilized to increase the effective wardrobe of the wearer, by making it possible for either a male or female member of the public to have a single garment and yet be in a position, by reasonof its construction, to present a substantially different appearance as to color or design at different times that the garment is worn or at different periods during a single period of wearing of such garment. For instance, certain colors or designs of a fabric are conventionally selected for sportswear. sirable, if the person wearing the garment finds it necessary to attend one function immediately after another without the ability, aside from the additional expense, of effecting a change of apparel.

Particularly in the case of women, the well known propensity of having a large variety of changes of apparel in which the difference in color or design is the principal desideratum, my novel construction of garment will find greatest favor, as it makes possible the purchase of a single garment Which, with comparatively simple manipulation, may be immediately changed to a garment of substantially different appearance by reason of a change of color or design of the material upon the exposed and visible face of the garment.

In connection particularly with the utilization of my invention in the construction of a raincoat or cape, in which a sudden change of weather when the wearer is away from home, my novel construction will find special appeal. For instance, one of the component garments of my combination article of apparel may be constituted of waterproof or water-repellant material having two faces of different color and design. When a person is caught outdoors in a sudden shower or rainstorm, either one of two faces of the raincoat component may be exposed to form the outer face of the garment, depending upon its appropriate match with the other articles of apparel of the wearer, for instance, her hat, shoes, skirt, etc.

The variety of possible applications of my novel construction in connection with different articles i of apparel, as hereinabove indicated, is so prolific that for the purpose of illustrating the invention the specific embodiment of my invention in its application to a garment exhibiting the greatest diiculties has been selected. Such a garment is one which necessarily must conform most rigidly to the body contours and one which has the field of greatest possible commercial use. For this purpose I have selected for illustration of my novel construction, a garment constituted of a jacket, having a hood attached thereto so that the principles of construction may be best illustrated in a garment having suchhood as an auxiliary component of the garment. A jacket, of course, involves the use of two sleeves in the adaption of my inventive construction to which the principles of my novel construction will be best illustrated.

In the accompanying drawings in which such A more somber color or design may be de- 4 specific embodiment of my invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a front view of a hooded jacket in the construction of which my invention has been embodied;

Fig. 2 is a side view of such jacket;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 with the garment of Fig. 1 reversed so as to expose the inner component section of the garment to the exterior;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows the application of a hookless fastener type of closure to the ends of the sleeve of the garment of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. '7 shows the hookless fastener structure in its closed condition to unite the two component units of the sleeve of the garment, and

Fig.v 8 illustrates a type of double-action slider for the fastener structure which permits the union of the fastener elements of the slide fastener from either direction, i. e., whether the sleeve is exposed on one face or the other.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, in my novel unitary reversible garment.

I0 represents the body of a garment unit, in the particular instance illustrated, the body portion of a jacket. Such body portion completely encircles the torso in the manner of any such garment and has the front portion thereof open throughout its length. Underlying this outer garment unit body is a second garment unit body I I which is substantially congruent with the outer body and is disposed within such outer body in substantial surface contact therewith throughout, With the exception of the edge portions thereof near the front opening of the garment. The two garment units have their selvages turned inwardly as shown at I2, I2 (Fig. 3) with the edges of-a flap structure I3' of duplex material interposed in the turned-in selvage.

The flap I3, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, is constituted of two plies of material having the edges opposite those edges which are contained within the selvages I2 likewise turned in as at I4, the selvages of the flap thus formed being joined by stitching I5. The iiap I3 i5 joined to the outer and inner bodies of the garment by a line of stitching I6.

A flap I7 of duplex material has its free edges turned in to form the selvages I8 which are then joined by stitching I9. The opposite edges of the flaps I'I are inserted between the selvages I2 of the outer and inner garment bodies, being joined by stitching 2D,

The whole construction of inner and outer garment body selvaging and the incorporation of the duplex flaps I3 and I'I is reproduced at the other side ofthe vertical garment body opening as shown by the cross-sectional view of Fig. 3.

The surface design or color of the naps I3 and I1 is so selected that, for instance, the design or color of the lower strip of material of each flap corresponds to the surface design o-r color of the lower of the two materials constituting the outer garment body and the upper surface of such flap corresponds to the design or coloring of the upper or inner garment body material. Thus, if each of the two outer garment body materials I0 is green, the lower surface of the lower flap I'I is also green. To illustrate this with more Clarity, the lower surface of the outer garment body 58 is marked a and therefore the lower surface of the lower or outer flap I'I is also marked a. The upper surface of the inner garment body II is marked b 5 and therefore, to indicate the same color, the upper surface of the inner ap I 'I is likewise marked b. The third design or color c is the same on the upper surface of the flap I 3 and the lower surface of the inner garment body II, while the fourth color d is the same on the lower surface 0f the flap I3 and the upper surface of the outer garment body IU.

Thus it will be seen that the color of the respective flaps I3 and Il' upon their surfaces facing the exterior is the same in all cases as the color of the faces of the respective outer or inner garment body in any particular disposition of the garment units.

The manner of fabricating the flaps and the method of their attachment to the edges of the garment at the front opening thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art from an inspection of Figs. 3 and 4. Briefly stated this method is as follows:

The flaps Il are first made of two strips of material, one superposed upon the other and joined along one edge by stitching. The two strips of material are then folded over to form the inturned selvage I 3 of such flaps and the whole secured together by stitching I9. The opposite edge of each of the flaps II has then applied thereto the edges of the selvages I2 of the garment body material and the four plies of material sewn together by stitching 20. The free edges of the flaps I3 are then brought to a position overlying the edges of the material of the body and secured together by stitching 2 I The material of the bodies I0 and II are then turned back, containing and concealing within them the flap I 3 and leaving flap I'I exposed, and the bodies are stitched to the flaps I3 by stitching I6, thus concealing the selvage joint between the body material and those of both flaps.

The lower edges of the two outer and inner garment bodies I0 and II are formed as illustrated in enlarged detail in Fig. 5. The material of the outer garment body lil has applied thereto a separate strip of material 22 formed with selvages 23 and 24 each of which is joined to the body I0, the lower portion of which has been provided with selva-ge 25. The purpose of applying this border strip 22 is to have the material of the same design or color on the exposed face of such strip as is the design or color of the material of the body portion I I.

If desired, the border strip 22 may be eliminated and the edge of the material of the body may beturned up and secured as a selvage as at 26 of body I I, forming a border of different color.

The two sleeves 2'I and 28 of the garment selected for illustration are similarly constituted of two substantially congruent units 29 and 3l), the former constituting the outer unit of the sleeve and the latter the inner unit thereof, such sleeve units 29 and 3D being secured to the outer and inner garment body units I3 and II at the shoulders of the garment. The ends of the sleeve units may `be left free, but in the preferred embodment of my invention, the tubular units constituting the duplex sleeves may be conveniently provided with circular lines of fastener elements 3| and 32, respectively (Fig. 6), which may be brought to the closed condition (Fig. 7) by a conventional double-action fastener slider 33 having two slider handles (Fig. `8) so that the slider may be operated from either side of the lines of fastener elements to effect their closure. The duplex sleeve with the fastener elements in open condition is illustrated in Fig. 6, while Fig. 7 illustrates .-6 the two tubular sleeves with the slide fastener structure in closed condition.

Of course, any other means of closure, for instance, buttons or snap fasteners may be used in place of the slide fastener closure structure.

The hood portion 35 of the jacket is constituted likewise of two substantially complete and congruent sheets of material 36 and 3l which are joined to the neck portion of the garment. The front opening of the hood portion is provided with pairs of flaps 38 and 39 which are constructed and operate in substantially identical fashion with the flaps I3 and II of the garment body portions.

In reversing the garment illustrated in the drawings, to have the inner face thereof exposed, it is only necessary to reverse the entire garment including the two body portions, the two sleeve portions and the hood portion in the conventional manner.

To obtain the third design or color exposed to the exterior, the two inner sleeve units are rst grasped on their interior, and separated from the outer sleeve units and the inner sleeve drawn through the armhole.

The hand is then inserted through the open bottom of the garment into the space between the two body sections and the entire garment turned inside out by a pull of the hand. The sleeve of the inner garment is then positioned into the sleeve of the outer garment, so that the sleeve units have been reversed, the one formerly constituting the inner sleeve faces becoming the outer one and the former outer sleeve faces now becoming the inner sleeve faces. By this manipulation, the originally inner garment body surfaces face the exterior, and the originally outer garment body surface forms the interior faces. When the garment is thus reversed to turn it inside out, the stitch line I6 forms the fulcrum of the reversal.

The hood portion will, of course, likewise be reversed by this operation.

The entire garment will now be completely reversed and one of the design or color of the material which was one of the two designs or colors facing each other in the interior of the garment will now be exposed, forming the top and outer surface.

In order to secure the exposure of the fourth design or color of the material of which the garment is constituted, the composite garment may now be again reversed in the conventional manner in order to bring the inner surface thereof facing outwardly.

The closure of the garment along the vertical front opening may be effected by any conventional means. In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, I have illustrated the use of buttons and buttonholes. Such buttons and cooperating buttonholes are provided at suitable distances apart upon flaps I 3 and I'I in such manner that when one flap is superposed upon the other, for instance, the two flaps I'I in the instance illustrated, the outer flap I'I is provided with buttonholes, and the inner flap I 'l is provided with buttons. The corresponding cooperating flaps I3 are similarly provided with buttons on one and buttonholes on the other, so that upon the reversal of the garment exposing such flaps I3 to the exterior, the cooperating buttons and. buttonholes may be used for the closure of the garment. By the use of two pairs of flaps in this manner, the closure of the garment at vthe front may be readily effected irrespective of 7 which side of the garment is exposed to the exterior.

Of course, in place of buttons and cooperating buttonholes, any other closure means, for instance, cooperating snap fasteners, may be used. Furthermore, in place of this type of closure means, there may be used lengths of hookless fasteners in which case the fabric stringers upon the edges of which the hookless fastener elements are clamped may themselves constitute the flaps I3 and I1, such stringers being secured within and attached to the selvages of the garment body materials precisely in the manner described and illustrated with respect to the manner of securement of the flaps I3 and I1.

While I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, and have illustrated its application to a garment constituting a jacket, it is obvious that the principles of my invention are equally applicable to the construction of my other article of apparel of this general type, including a shirt, blouse, cape, skirt, and even trousers. With respect t'o the latter, the body portion of the trousers can be constituted of duplex material very much like the construction of the two garment bodies I and I'I described in connection with the jacket, the trouser leg portions being constituted of duplex material in the manner of the sleeves of the particular jacket described and illustrated. In the application of my invention to an ordinary skirt, no difficulties whatsoever are involved, as such skirt can be constituted of two duplex units, one forming the lining for the other, and capable of manipulation to reverse the same and turn it inside out, once it has been reversed, to secure the third and fourth design or color of the material for exposure to the outside.

Various changes may be made in the specific arrangement of the parts, and the manner of securement thereof to each other, for instance, in the manner oi forming the selvages, stitching, etc., without departing from my invention. I desire to be limited in the application of the principles of my invention only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A reversible garment comprising tWo complete and substantially congruent garment, units, one disposed within the other in lsubstantial surface contact with each other, each surface of each of said units being of a different surface design and color from the other surfaces, the garment thus constituting a two-ply, four-face, composite garment capable of being reversed so as to expose any of the four faces of the garment material to the exterior.

2. A reversible garment as claimed in claim i, including mean for closing the free meeting edges of the front sections of the garment in any of the four exposable faces of the garment units.

3. A reversible garment comprising two complete and substantially congruent garment units, one disposed within the other, the inner surfaces of each of said garment units facing each other being different in surface design and color from the outer surfaces or" said garment unit, and including means for closing the free meeting edges of the front sections of the garment with any of the four exposable faces of the garment units turned outwardly, said means comprising a pair of flaps secured to the edges of the garment units and extending from each side of such edges.

4. A reversible garment as claimed in claim l, including means for closing the free meeting edges of the front sections of the garment with any of the four exposable faces of the garment units turned outwardly, said means comprising a pair of flaps secured to the edge of each garment unit, one of said flaps extending from each side of such edge.

5. In a reversible garment comprising two complete and ysubstantially congruent garment units, a closure means for each of the open edges of each garmentl unit, comprising two longitudinally extending iiaps, one of which is exposed and the other concealed within the fabric constituting the garment unit.

6. Closure means for a reversible garment comprising a pair of longitudinally extending naps, one of which is exposed and the other concealed, upon both edges of the garment units, and in which either of the exposed fiaps may form with the other exposed flap, the closure structure for the garment without changing the body encircling dimension of the garment.

'7. A reversible garment as claimed in Claim 1, including a pair of sleeve units each constituted of two complete and substantially congruent tubular sections, whereby the garment when such sleeves and the body of the garment are reversed, presents to the exterior any one of four faces of the material constituting said ysleeve sections.

8. A reversible garment comprising two complete and substantially congruent garment units, one disposed within the other in substantial surface contact Iwith each other, a hood portion attached along its bottom peripheral edge to the garment units the inner surfaces of each of said garment units and o-f such hood portion, facing each other being different in Isurface design and color from the outer surfaces of said garment units and of the hood portion.

9. A reversible garment comprising two complete and substantially congruent garment units, one disposed within the other in substantial surface contact, with each other, a hood portion attached to each of said garment units, each surface of each of said units and of 'such hood portion being of a different surface design and color from the other surfaces of the garment units and hood portion, the garment thus constituting a two-ply, four-face, composite garment and attached hood capable of being reversed so as to expose any of the four faces of the garment material and of the hood portion to the exterior.

l0. A garment comprising a plurality of individual bodies, each of said bodies having an outer ysurface and an inner surface of different design or color, said bodies having an edge section, the edge section of one of said bodies being adapted to be joined with the edge section of the other of said bodies, said joined section being provided with an outer flap and with an inner iiap, the inner ap being positioned between said bodies, said garment being adapted to be turned inside out in a manner whereby the inner flap will be exposed and the outer iiap will be concealed between said bodies.

11. A garment comprising a plurality of individual bodies, each of said bodies being provided with an outer surface and an inner surface of different color and with edge sections, at least a portion of the edge section of one of said bodies being adapted to be joined with a portion of the edge section of the other of said bodies in a manner whereby said inner faces may face each other, at least a portion of said joined edge portion being provided with a plurality of flaps, one of said aps extending between said inner faces and the other of said naps extending in line with said outer faces.

12. A garment comprising a plurality of individual bodies, each of said bodies being provided with an outer surface and an inner surface of different design or color, each of said bodies having a botto-m edge section and an upper edge section, at least a portion of the upper edge section of one of said bodies being joined with a portion of the upper edge section of the other of said bodies, said joined portion being provided with a, flap portion at the outer end thereof and with a flap portion at the inner end thereof, the latter extending between the inner surfaces of said bodies.

13. A garment-J comprising a Yplurality of individual bodies, each of said bodies having an outer surface and an inner surface, of different design or color, and an edge section, a portion of the edge section of one of said bodies being joined with a portion of the edge section4 of the other of said bodies in a manner whereby said inner surfaces may face each other, said joined portion having an outer flap, a portion of said fiap extending inwardly of said joint and positioned between the inner surfaces of said bodies.

14. A garment comprising a plurality of individual bodies, each of said bodies being provided with an outer surface and with a different co1- ored inner surface and with edge sections, a portion of the edge section of one of said bodies being joined with a portion of the edge section of the other of said bodies, said garment being provided with at least two of such joined portions, said joined portions adapted to face each other and being provided with visible fastening means for connecting such portions to each other, each of the inner parts of said joined portions being provided with inner fastening means. positioned between said inner surfaces, said garment adapted to be turned inside-out in a manner whereby said inner fastening means appear on the outside of the joined portion and the visible fastening means become concealed between the said individual bodies, the inner fastening means of one of said joined portions being Vadapted to engage the fastening means of the other of said joined portions.

15. A reversible garment structure comprising two individual units joined to each other at the front sections thereof in a manner providing two outer faces and two inner faces, and wherein either one of the inner or outer faces may be exposed for use as a top face, said structure being provided with an outer right-hand front edge and with an outer left-hand front edge, each of said edges being provided with fastening means, the right-hand fastening means being adapted to be interlocked with the left-hand fastening means, said garment being reversible in either direction in a manner whereby either one of the outer faces may be exposed for use as a top face, the bottom sections of said units being separated from each other so that said garment may be turned in-side-out, with either one of the inner faces exposed for use as a top face and the inner side of the front edges used as outer front edges, each of said last mentioned front edges having fastening means adapted to be interlocked.

16. A reversible covering structure comprising two individual units disposed one within the other, the edge portions of said units being joined together and stitched in a manner whereby the raw edges of the material are hidden from view when the structure is turned inside out in either direction and used with either one of the four faces exposed as the top face.

JACOB L, KLEINMAN. 

